Memorandum by the United States Military
Attaché, Berlin, May 17, 1934

[Extracts]

For sometime past evidence has been
accumulating which tends to show the existence of unusually close and friendly
relations between Germany and Japan even to the extent of a possible secret
alliance. Japan has apparently taken the more active part in establishing these
relations but she has met with a ready response from Germany, especially from
the Nazi Government. The beginning of this relationship antedates the coming of
the Nazi Government into power but owing to the friendship of the previous
German Government for Russia and China its development was limited until the
Nazis came in.

One factor in the situation stands out quite
clearly and that is that these friendly relations have no personal basis
whatever but are dependent entirely upon self interest. One can hardly conceive
of the Japs developing any genuine brotherly feeling towards an occidental people
and the Germans do not hesitate to speak freely to an American on their own
attitude. They usually express themselves to the effect that "We are
encouraging close and friendly rela-

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tions with Japan because it is to our advantage to do so but we must
never forget that we are white people and they are not".